


Ties that Bind

by Lacerta26



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Character Death, Emotions, Gen, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-23 10:52:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16157546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacerta26/pseuds/Lacerta26
Summary: Harry had never expected this. To outlive Eggsy.





	Ties that Bind

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently, I love to suffer.
> 
> All this Kingsman Three chat has got me dwelling on exactly how many ways Matthew Vaughn can ruin my life and here we are. 
> 
> TGC compliant if you squint. Except Merlin's not dead because, obviously.

Harry had never expected this. To outlive Eggsy. To stand in the private rooms at Drottingholm Palace looking into Tilde’s red-rimmed eyes. She isn’t crying now; her cheeks are dry and powdery as she tidies the toys scattered all over the floor. Eggsy’s son had been in the room when Harry had arrived, too young to understand why his mother was crying, easily distracted with the arrival of a nanny bearing biscuits.

‘Thank you for coming,’ says Tilde, gesturing for Harry to sit down, she twists the teddy she’s holding in her hands as she sits, too. Harry had bought that teddy, only six months earlier. 

‘I thought it best to come in person,’ says Harry, he doesn’t bother with titles, ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t break the news personally.’

The death of Prince Gary of Sweden was still international news even to a public who didn’t care much for monarchy anymore. Kingsman had worked quickly fabricating a story; a tragic accident. Eggsy made the front page at last, for all the wrong reasons, and it had been Merlin, in the end, who had called Tilde to tell her. 

Tilde shakes her head minutely, lips pressed together in a thin line, ‘no, I’m sorry,’ she says and Harry frowns at her, ‘for what?’ 

‘You lost him as well. You loved him,’ she says, ‘he loved you too,’ like it’s that easy.

Harry opens his mouth to argue but knows it’s pointless, he can see in her eyes she’s done with platitudes and condolences.

‘Yes, I loved him,’ he admits, out loud, for the first time, for the last time, ‘I’m not sure he loved me in quite the same way.’

Tilde laughs and it’s almost cruel, ‘he told me, you know, about when you came back from the dead. How you slept together. He and I weren’t really together then.’ 

‘It was only once. And sex isn’t love,’ Eggsy had taken Harry home, the hot, urgent press of their bodies confirmation they were both still alive. It had been love for Harry, he knows that much. Then Eggsy had announced he was marrying Tilde and that had been that. 

‘He didn’t think he could keep you,’ says Tilde.

‘And keeping a princess is easier?’ demands Harry, suddenly harsh, face already crumpling in apology but Tilde holds up her hand, ‘you’re untouchable, Harry Hart, you must know this.’

Harry has nothing to say to that, just looks at her, the fierce set of her jaw, he can see why Eggsy loved her, suddenly, has to tell her, ‘he loved you too.’

‘You think I don’t know that?’ she snaps, ‘it wasn’t a choice. You were never an option.’

Harry nods, it’s time to leave, he isn’t really sure why he came. Closure perhaps; for him or for her? He goes to stand but Tilde is ringing a bell and the nanny reappears.

‘Lee,’ Tilde says to her son, voice soft, ‘why don’t you fetch Uncle Harry his present?’

Harry turns, confused, but Tilde is already speaking, ‘my parents did not want us to name him Lee. It is not regal enough. Or Swedish enough. But Gary insisted if his son could not be an Unwin he would have his grandfather’s name,’ when had she started calling him Gary, Harry thinks, but Tilde carries on, ‘Harry as a middle name was not much better,’ she glares at him as though this were Harry’s fault, he had no idea. That Eggsy would give his son Harry’s name and not even mention it tilts Harry’s world off its axis.

Then suddenly there’s a small, sticky hand in his and Lee is handing Harry a velvet box. Harry glances at Tilde for confirmation, she nods and he opens it, all the air leaving the room when he sees what’s inside; Eggsy’s Kingsman medal, the one Harry gave him all those years ago.

‘He always had it with him,’ Tilde is saying, somewhere beyond the roaring in Harry’s ears, ‘never took it off except for work: no identifying markers, no ties, no family.’ Gratitude wells up in Harry before he sees her face, ‘so we are cutting all ties to Kingsman, to you,’ she pulls her son towards her, stands up, a dismissal.

‘I am sorry,’ Harry says again, pointlessly. 

‘I know, Harry,’ Tilde’s face softens a fraction, ‘but what can your apologies do for any of us now?’

Harry allows himself to be politely but firmly escorted from the Palace; the Swedish flag flying half-mast hangs perfectly still. It’s not until he’s sat in the back of the Kingsman car, heading to the airport, that he realises he’s still clutching Eggsy’s medal so hard it’s cutting grooves into his palm. It’s only in this moment, for the first and last time, Harry allows himself to cry.

 

 


End file.
